Iceland IV: Fire and Water

I bought a uniform in Reykyavik and wore it for the whole trip.  Dave treated me to a hand-knitted Icelandic sweater from the Reykyavik knitters cooperative.  It felt just right during the chilly but mostly sunny days.  Dressed in my sweater, my black sneakers, and a pair of stretch pants, I was ready to roll.  August 14, 2022 was filled with fire and water--one of Iceland's most spectacular waterfalls and lots of volcano experiences, from the Lava Museum to a black sand beach, made of pulverized lava.

Dave and I stopped at the Lava Museum, on our way to meet Mike and Heidi at the Seljalandsfoss waterfall.  We watched a movie with footage of the most recent volcanic eruptions near the Lava Center—just 34, 55, 100, and 200 kilometers away.  The movie showed policemen monitoring cars moving in and out of the volcanic area, as layers of ash settled on the police cars and farmers quieted their horses and sheep, as the burning gases hurt the sheep’s eyes.  We then walked through an interactive area, dark with bright red lights showing the statistics of the volcanoes as a huge, red volcanic “core” rose up in the center of one room. Another room had “footprints” where we could stand and feel a simulated earthquake.

At Seljalandsfoss, four waterfalls cascaded down the side of the mountain.  

I eased my way up the slippery walkway and rocks along the trail behind the first waterfall, as gallons of spray settled on all the pilgrims feeling their way along the rocks.

I met Audrey and Mike on the far side of the first waterfall, and we walked together past the second, third, and fourth waterfalls.  The fourth waterfall was “Gljufrabui,” or “Hidden Waterfall.”  Mike, Audrey, and I climbed down a ramp to peer through a black rock opening at a waterfall cascading within.  Audrey and I held back while Mike leapt across stones in the stream exiting the cavern through which the waterfall fell.

Glaciers were next.  We stopped at Solheimajokull Glacier and walked all the way to the ‘outlet glacier” where recently a small glacial lagoon had formed, giving a breathtaking view up the glacier.

We drove on past the beautiful Eyjafjoll mountain range to the black sand beach of Reynisfjara, near the village of Vik.  We walked down to the beach, where we saw the Halsanefshellir sea cave and the Gardar cliff, composed of dark basalt columns that some say resemble a pyramid or organ pipes. Groups of tourists took photos, arranged on the “steps” of the basalt columns.  We later heard from a woman who visited the cave just a few hours before we did and found thousands of puffins.  They were gone by the time we arrived.  We want to find some puffins for Audrey to see, since she loves her stuffed puffin.

Our Magma Hotel was charming.  The rooms were built within separate, gray wooden boxes, with two rooms to a box.  Our box had two twin beds with thick, white comforters, fluffy pillows, and a wall of full-length window/doors leading to our own porch and a green-fringed lake just outside our door.